SURF CITY, El Salvador, CMC – The world’s best surfers have descended upon the pristine right-hand point breaks of Surf City, El Salvador, as the 2025 ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) prepares to kick off on Friday.
This year’s edition is poised to make history, not only for its competitive fire but for its unprecedented scale, officially becoming the largest gathering of national surfing teams the world has ever seen.
A record-shattering 297 athletes from 61 nations are registered to compete, surpassing the previous participation record set at the same arena in El Salvador in 2023.
The expansion of the sport’s reach is underscored by the debut of two new nations, Angola and Vanuatu, who will make their inaugural appearances on surfing’s premier global team stage.
“The growth we are witnessing is a testament to surfing’s vibrant future,” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre. From the powerhouses to the first-timers, every nation here shares a common passion for the ocean and the sport.”
The Caribbean contingent is a significant force in this expanded field, with a strong presence from the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.
They will face a veritable who’s who of competitive surfing. The entry list boasts an impressive 22 Olympians, led by the sport’s newest crowned king, France’s Kauli Vaast, who arrives with the momentum of his Gold Medal victory at Paris 2024.
He is joined by Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki, the Tokyo 2020 Bronze Medalist, both adding Olympic pedigree to the WSG lineup.
Further elevating the level of competition are two of the most decorated athletes in the event’s history. Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons, a relentless competitor and four-time WSG Gold Medalist, returns with her sights set on a fifth title.
She will be challenged by Argentina’s Leandro Usuna, a two-time WSG Gold Medalist known for his powerful and precise approach.
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